Short haul trucking is commercial truck driving that stays within roughly 150 miles of a home base, with drivers returning home at the end of each shift. These routes typically serve metropolitan areas or connect nearby cities, with drivers making multiple stops per day to pick up and deliver freight. It’s one of the most common entry points into the trucking industry and appeals to drivers who want steady work without spending nights on the road.
How the FMCSA Defines Short Haul
The federal government draws a clear line around short haul trucking. Under Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration rules, a short-haul driver operates within a 150 air-mile radius of their normal work reporting location and must report back to that location within 14 consecutive hours. An air mile is a straight-line measurement (about 1.15 standard miles), so 150 air miles translates to roughly 170 road miles depending on the route.
That 150-mile, 14-hour boundary matters because it unlocks a regulatory shortcut called the short-haul exception. Drivers who qualify don’t need to keep a detailed daily log of their hours, and they’re exempt from the Electronic Logging Device (ELD) mandate that applies to most other commercial drivers. Instead of recording duty status changes throughout the day, short-haul drivers just need accurate time records showing when they started and ended work. This reduces paperwork and eliminates the cost of installing and maintaining an ELD in the truck.
If a driver exceeds either limit on a given day, venturing past 150 air miles or working beyond 14 hours, the exception doesn’t apply for that day. The driver would need a log for that shift. Carriers that run short-haul operations generally plan routes to stay well inside these boundaries.
What a Typical Day Looks Like
Short-haul drivers usually start early, reporting to a terminal, warehouse, or distribution center where their truck is already loaded or where they help load it. From there, the day is a series of stops. A driver delivering building materials might hit four or five job sites before noon. A food-service driver could visit a dozen restaurants in a single metro area. Routes tend to be the same or similar day to day, which means drivers learn the roads, the customers, and the timing.
The physical demands are noticeably higher than long-haul work. Because short-haul drivers make frequent stops, they spend a significant chunk of the day loading and unloading freight, using hand trucks, pallet jacks, or lift gates. A long-haul driver might spend eight hours behind the wheel with minimal physical activity. A short-haul driver might spend four hours driving and four hours handling cargo. This is especially true in last-mile delivery and LTL (less-than-truckload) freight, where smaller shipments go to multiple destinations.
The tradeoff is predictability. Most short-haul drivers work something close to a regular schedule, often five days a week with consistent start times. And because routes stay local, drivers go home every night.
Common Types of Short Haul Work
Short haul trucking covers several distinct job types, each with its own pace and equipment:
- LTL delivery: Carriers like regional freight companies pick up partial loads from multiple shippers and deliver them to multiple receivers. Drivers may handle 10 to 20 stops per shift.
- Dedicated route delivery: A driver runs the same route for a single customer, such as a grocery chain or beverage distributor. These jobs are highly predictable.
- Drayage: Moving shipping containers short distances between ports, rail yards, and warehouses. Drayage drivers rarely touch freight but deal with heavy congestion and wait times at terminals.
- Last-mile delivery: Taking goods from a local distribution hub to the final destination, often residential addresses or retail stores. This segment has grown rapidly with e-commerce.
- Construction and flatbed hauling: Delivering materials to job sites within a metro area. These loads often require securing and strapping, adding physical work on top of driving.
How Short Haul Drivers Get Paid
Short-haul drivers are most commonly paid by the hour, which makes sense given the nature of the work. When your day involves heavy traffic, loading dock wait times, and frequent stops, an hourly rate ensures you’re compensated for all the time you’re working, not just the miles you cover. Hourly pay also removes the incentive to rush between stops, which is a real safety concern with mileage-based pay.
Some carriers pay by the load or by the stop instead. Per-stop pay is common in delivery-heavy roles where the number of drops matters more than the distance. A driver delivering to 15 locations earns more than one delivering to 8, reflecting the additional labor. Per-load pay works similarly but is more common in drayage and dedicated routes where the loads are larger and fewer.
Pay-per-mile, the standard in long-haul trucking, is less common in short haul because it doesn’t reflect the work accurately. A driver stuck at a loading dock for 45 minutes earns nothing under a mileage model even though they’re on the clock. That said, some short-haul positions do use mileage rates, particularly for routes with minimal stops and predictable distances.
Earnings vary widely by region, employer, and job type. Entry-level short-haul positions tend to pay less than long-haul work because the routes are shorter and the time away from home is minimal. One industry estimate puts the average at around $38,640 per year, though experienced drivers in specialized roles (hazmat, tanker, oversized loads) or high-cost metro areas can earn considerably more. Union positions and jobs with major carriers often include health insurance, retirement contributions, and overtime pay that push total compensation higher.
Who Short Haul Trucking Works Best For
The biggest draw is the home-daily schedule. Long-haul drivers can spend weeks on the road, sleeping in their cab and eating at truck stops. Short-haul drivers sleep in their own bed, eat at home, and can be present for family life in a way that over-the-road trucking doesn’t allow. For drivers with young children, health considerations, or simply a preference for routine, this is often the deciding factor.
Lower vehicle costs are another practical advantage. Shorter routes mean less fuel, less tire wear, and less overall mileage on the truck. Owner-operators running short haul can keep maintenance expenses down compared to someone putting 100,000 or more miles a year on a rig.
The downsides are real, though. The physical workload is heavier. City driving in congested areas is more stressful than open highway miles. And the pay ceiling is generally lower than what a long-haul driver or owner-operator can earn on cross-country freight lanes. Drivers who want to maximize income and don’t mind life on the road will typically earn more in long haul or regional work.
Getting Started in Short Haul
You need a commercial driver’s license (CDL) for most short-haul positions involving trucks over 26,001 pounds or hauling certain types of cargo. CDL training programs typically run three to seven weeks and cost between $3,000 and $10,000, though many carriers offer paid training or tuition reimbursement in exchange for a commitment to drive for them.
Some short-haul jobs, particularly those involving smaller box trucks or straight trucks under the CDL weight threshold, only require a standard driver’s license. These positions pay less but offer a way into the industry without the upfront investment in CDL training.
Employers generally look for a clean driving record and the ability to pass a DOT physical and drug screening. Many short-haul carriers hire drivers with little or no experience, making it one of the more accessible paths in commercial trucking. Experience with a hand truck, pallet jack, or forklift can be an advantage since so much of the job involves cargo handling.